Buyback yield (TTM)
3.14%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
4.27%
5Y share count change
-13.6%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$6.52B
Cumulative buybacks
$79.39B
Key takeaways
- American Express (AXP) repurchased about $6.52B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 13.6% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 10.93× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +41.4% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 54% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for American Express (AXP)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for American Express (AXP)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for American Express (AXP)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for American Express (AXP)
Latest: $5.81B
Overview
American Express (AXP) most recent annual buyback spend stands at $5.81B (2025) – edged down 3.4% year-over-year.
American Express buyback spend compound annual growth for the 2020–2025 (5 years) window is +41.4%, with mixed annual results across the window.
Between 2021 and 2025, American Express buyback spend declined 24.0%, falling from $7.65B to $5.81B.
2021 marks the peak buyback spend at $7.65B, with the historical low of $0.00 recorded in 1989.
American Express Buyback Spend 2025: $5.81B
2025's buyback spend for American Express came in at $5.81B, edged down 3.4% below 2024.
American Express Buyback Spend 2024: $6.02B
American Express posted buyback spend of $6.02B in 2024, surged 64.9% from 2023.
American Express Buyback Spend 2023: $3.65B
In 2023, American Express reported buyback spend of $3.65B, edged up 4.2% from 2022.
American Express Buyback Spend 2022: $3.50B
American Express buyback spend in 2022 was $3.50B, plunged 54.2% below 2021.
American Express Buyback Spend 2021: $7.65B
American Express buyback spend in 2021 was $7.65B.
See more financial history for American Express (AXP).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $5.81B | $551.00M | $5.26B | 2.29% | 0.70B | -2.4% | |
| 2024 | $6.02B | $504.00M | $5.52B | 2.88% | 0.71B | -3.1% | |
| 2023 | $3.65B | $450.00M | $3.20B | 2.69% | 0.74B | -2.1% | |
| 2022 | $3.50B | $375.00M | $3.13B | 3.18% | 0.75B | -4.8% | |
| 2021 | $7.65B | $330.00M | $7.32B | 5.95% | 0.79B | -2.0% | |
| 2020 | $1.03B | $249.00M | $780.00M | 1.06% | 0.81B | -2.9% | |
| 2019 | $4.68B | $283.00M | $4.40B | 4.62% | 0.83B | -3.4% | |
| 2018 | $1.69B | $283.00M | $1.40B | 2.08% | 0.86B | -3.0% | |
| 2017 | $4.40B | $282.00M | $4.12B | 5.12% | 0.89B | -5.2% | |
| 2016 | $4.50B | $254.00M | $4.24B | 6.67% | 0.94B | -6.8% | |
| 2015 | $4.58B | $234.00M | $4.34B | 6.73% | 1.00B | -4.6% | |
| 2014 | $4.39B | $290.00M | $4.10B | 4.59% | 1.05B | -3.5% | |
| 2013 | $3.94B | $350.00M | $3.59B | 4.07% | 1.09B | -4.6% | |
| 2012 | $3.95B | $297.00M | $3.65B | 6.19% | 1.14B | -3.6% | |
| 2011 | $2.30B | $301.00M | $2.00B | 4.20% | 1.18B | -0.9% | |
| 2010 | $590.00M | $287.00M | $303.00M | 1.15% | 1.20B | +2.0% | |
| 2009 | $3.39B | $202.00M | $3.19B | 7.06% | 1.17B | +1.2% | |
| 2008 | $218.00M | $229.00M | −$11.00M | 1.02% | 1.16B | -3.3% | |
| 2007 | $3.57B | $276.00M | $3.30B | 5.96% | 1.20B | -3.4% | |
| 2006 | $4.09B | $298.00M | $3.79B | 5.68% | 1.24B | -1.6% | |
| 2005 | $1.85B | $0.00 | $1.85B | 2.92% | 1.26B | -2.1% | |
| 2004 | $3.58B | $0.00 | $3.58B | 5.80% | 1.28B | -1.0% | |
| 2003 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.30B | -2.4% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.33B | -0.4% | |
| 2001 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.34B | -1.8% | |
| 2000 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.36B | -0.6% | |
| 1999 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.37B | -1.5% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.39B | -3.3% | |
| 1997 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.44B | -1.7% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 1.46B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$5.81B
- 2024$6.02B
- 2023$3.65B
- 2022$3.50B
- 2021$7.65B
- 2020$1.03B
- 2019$4.68B
- 2018$1.69B
- 2017$4.40B
- 2016$4.50B
- 2015$4.58B
- 2014$4.39B
- 2013$3.94B
- 2012$3.95B
- 2011$2.30B
- 2010$590.00M
- 2009$3.39B
- 2008$218.00M
- 2007$3.57B
- 2006$4.09B
- 2005$1.85B
- 2004$3.58B
- 2003$0.00
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$0.00
- 2000$0.00
- 1999$0.00
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$0.00
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
- 1994$0.00
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$0.00
- 1990$0.00
- 1989$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for American Express (AXP)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 10.93×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for American Express (AXP)
How American Express splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as American Express, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $34.59B | |
| $24.10B | |
| $19.52B | |
| $13.39B | |
| $12.36B | |
| $11.73B | |
| $5.83B | |
| $0.00 |
- $34.59B
- $24.10B
- $19.52B
- $13.39B
- $12.36B
- $11.73B
- $5.83B
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $11.98B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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